MY ACCOUNT
FIFA and UEFA have issued a joint statement condemning a “horrific act” that saw gunshots fired at the Turkish Football Association headquarters on Thursday.
Reports from Turkey indicate 11 shots were fired in the direction of the building in Istanbul as the board met inside, though fortunately nobody was hurt.
Turkish Interior Minister, Suleyman Soylu, said two suspects were arrested shortly after the incident occurred, describing them as “drunk”, with investigations ongoing.
Football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA condemned the indicent, expressing relief that no injuries were sustained.
“On Thursday, a horrific act of gun violence against the people and property of the Turkish Football Association (TFF) occurred at the TFF’s headquarters in Istanbul,” the statement read.
“As much as we are relieved that these acts resulted in no injuries, we regret that there are still people capable of such crimes with no respect for human life or safety.
“FIFA and UEFA jointly condemn this violent act and express our full support for the TFF and its staff at this difficult time. Violence is a disease that cannot be tolerated in any form.”
Former Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Turkey international Hamit Altintop, now one of the federation’s leaders, was in the building at the time of the incident.
“We threw ourselves to the ground as soon as we heard the shots,” he told the Milliyet daily.
